Family
by slothen
Summary: Kaoru and Megumi share a moment together.


Untitled 

That idiot girl, Megumi thought as she cleaned up the remnants of her previous surgery. That Kaoru will be the death of us all. Megumi had to keep herself from pounding the wall with her fist, her anger threatening to boil over. 

Kaoru, after being told that Sanosuke had taken Yahiko with him to gamble, had been livid. She had insisted on bringing him back, deaf to the protests of Kenshin and Megumi. She had rushed out of the dojo in her practice clothes, grasping her bokken, which was even more evidence that the girl wasn't thinking clearly. Somehow she had managed to drag Yahiko out of there by his ear, his shouts of dismay at being treated like a child filling the air. `Busu,' and `tanuki' had been his words of choice. At first Kenshin had not followed her, smiling to himself and muttering to Megumi that she would be back with Yahiko in tow, that Sanosuke would see to it she didn't come to harm, in case a situation should arise. Still, he had seemed a little nervous, not paying as much attention to Ayame and Suzume, lost in thought. 

Megumi had gone back to shaping onigiri, her slim hands moving quickly and efficiently. Today was her day off, Genzai had insisted she take one since the clinic had had nothing more than a broken leg and a bothersome cough in the past two days. She had opted to spend her day at the Kamiya Dojo, under the guise of being near Ken-san. In all honesty, she enjoyed the playful atmosphere here at the dojo, content to watch the goings-on and occasionally tease Ken-san and the tanuki girl. 

"Kenshin! Come quickly!" At the sound of Yahiko's shout, they had all looked up. Ayame and Suzume looked at Yahiko with wide eyes and soap bubbles on their hands, Megumi with rice sticking to her fingers. Kenshin's eyes narrowed. He didn't hesitate at all, jumping up and running to follow Yahiko. Megumi and the two girls were left staring, mouths agape. Megumi recovered herself and grabbed the hands of the two girls. She smiled at them reassuringly. 

"Let's take you two home, ne? I think Kenshin is done playing for the day," she said cheerfully, hiding her growing apprehension. The two girls nodded. 

After Megumi had dropped the girls off with their parents, she had rushed to the Oguni clinic. She had a feeling she would be needed soon. 

She was right. 

She had scarcely greeted Genzai when Kenshin and Sanosuke had barged in. Kenshin carried a bloody Kaoru in his arms. The girl was unconscious, her arms hanging limply at her sides. She bounced up and down with each step Kenshin took. His worried expression overshadowing the fury in his eyes. Sanosuke was the one to speak. 

"She's got a head wound. Some guy beat her up!" He shouted, his bandaged fist clenched tightly. Genzai and Megumi had acted quickly. 

The girl's face was puffy and bruised, blood trickled from her lip, which had been split. Her shoulder was dislocated, and her arms were covered in lacerations. The cuts weren't deep, except one in particular. It oozed blood, which covered her practice gi. 

"Megumi, you pop that shoulder back into place while I prepare. Kaoru-chan is going to need stitches." Megumi nodded, moving to do as he ordered. Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yahiko all looked on. 

"Ken-san, please fetch me some hot water and some linen pads," Megumi asked, and Kenshin hurried off to do her bidding. "Don't just stand there! Help him!" Megumi shouted at the two men who still stood, staring. They had followed Kenshin. 

Three hours later, Kaoru was still unconscious, lying on a clinic futon. Megumi had finished cleaning up, while Kenshin watched over Kaorus sleeping form. Sanosuke and Yahiko stood by. Megumi caught Sanosukes eye, and motioned quietly for him to follow her outside the room. He did, sliding the shoji shut behind them. 

"Sanosuke, what happened?" Megumi asked. 

"Jou-chan barged in on our gambling shouting about how gambling halls were no place for young boys. I was kinda out of it, on account of the sake. She dragged him outtah there by his ear, and everyone was laughing at them. None of us noticed a guy leave our group and follow them out. He was kinda new, he had just joined a week earlier. I guess now that I think about it, he was kinda shady. Anyway, we rushed out when we heard her yelling. We all pounced on the guy, he was attacking Jou-chan with a knife, shouting something about--" Sanosuke hesitated, obviously mindful of offending the fox. 

"Go on," she urged. 

"Anyway, he was carrying on about `stupid bitches thinking they can do what men can do'. Che, the guy's insane. We fought him off her, and I told Yahiko to go get Kenshin. Soon as Yahiko and Kenshin got back, Jou-chan passed out." 

Aa soon as Sanosuke recounted what the man had said, Megumi's anger had flared. She kept it in check, however. It just wouldn't do to let them see how it got to her, how it made her blood boil. She pushed past Sanosuke and entered the room again. Forcing her voice to stay calm, she addressed Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sanosuke who still stood in the doorway. 

"You three should go home and get some rest. Kaoru-san will be fine here. You can come see her first thing in the morning." For the first time since he had brought Kaoru in, Kenshin spoke up. 

"If you don't mind, Megumi-dono, I'd like to stay here with Kaoru-dono. In case she needs something.." Kenshin trailed off, his shoulders slumped in utter defeat. In that state, Megumi could deny him nothing. "Of course, Ken-san. But you'll have to sleep in a separate room. Genzai-sensei will set up a futon for you in the room next to this one." Megumi almost smiled at the relief in Kenshin's eyes. He nodded. 

"As for you two," Megumi turned to Sanosuke and Yahiko. "You two both go home. And don't protest. I won't hear of it." 

Both of them nodded and left. Kenshin had left the room to prepare a futon, and perhaps to take a small meal with Genzai. Now it was only Megumi and Kaoru. Megumi dipped a small cloth into a bowl of water near the futon and knelt at Kaoru's side. Some dried blood still remained on her face and arms, and Megumi set to wiping some of it away. She lost herself in her thoughts as she did so. 

Stupid, stupid tanuki girl. Always making poor Ken-san worry, making everyone worry. So headstrong. 

The small movements of Kaoru stirring interrupted her thoughts. Her large blue eyes opened slowly, drowsily. She focused them on Megumi's face. 

"H—how long..?" She asked, her voice sounding tired, weak. 

"About three and a half hours," Megumi answered curtly. She put the cloth she had been using back in the bowl of water, and moved to stand up. Kenshin would want to know that Kaoru had woken up. 

She stopped when she felt a hand lightly touch her arm. She looked down in surprise at the tanuki girl, who smiled softly at her. 

"Stay a little bit, ne? Onegai?" She asked, her eyes hopeful. Megumi grudgingly knelt again. 

"What is it you want, Kaoru-san?" Megumi asked, obviously sounding annoyed and putout. The girl looked slightly hurt at the doctor's tone of voice. 

"Just wanted to tell you a few things. While we have a chance to be alone." 

"Baka. I have work to do, and Ken-san is out there worried sick about you. Don't you want to see him?" 

"Not yet. Not yet." Kaoru sighed. 

"Ungrateful." Megumi bit back at her before she knew what she was saying. Why was she being so hostile toward the girl? Kaoru shifted her eyes away for a moment, then looked up at Megumi again, determination evident in her battered face. 

"Megumi-san, do you hate me?" the girl asked. Megumi was taken aback. She hadn't expected this. 

"What are you talking about, tanuki girl?" 

"You always act as if you wish I weren't here. As if you want me out of the way. Do you?" 

Megumi stared at Kaoru, wondering how to answer. Did she really hate Kaoru? The girl had helped her, asking her to stay at the dojo during the Kanryu incident. Yet she had always been competition for Kenshin's love. Megumi resented the girl for it, of course. 

Didn't she? 

Now, as Kaoru looked up at Megumi with all the wide-eyed hope of a child, Megumi's answer came easily. 

"No, Kaoru-san. I don't hate you." At that, Kaoru smiled with relief. Megumi couldn't help but wonder why it was so important to her that Megumi should like her. As if she could read her thoughts, Kaoru spoke up again. 

"I've always admired you, Megumi-san. You and I, we are different. We aren't like normal women. You, you're a doctor. You save lives with your medicine, and I teach kenjutsu that protects lives. How many women can claim that? But you're stronger than I am. When Kenshin left for Kyoto, you were the only one who could talk sense into me. I was selfish, too depressed and consumed by my own feelings to see what was around me. You have a level head. You can think clearly when I can't." 

Megumi was about to speak when Kaoru held up a hand to quiet her. 

"Please. Let me finish." 

Megumi nodded. Obviously this was important to her. 

"When I woke up and saw you above me, it made me think. I am always in some danger. First with Kihe and Gohei, then Kamatari, then Enishi. Someday, I won't be able to get out of it. When that happens—" Kaoru paused, taking a deep breath. "When that happens, you must take care of Kenshin and Yahiko for me. You deserve the love that is owed you." 

"Kaoru-san, please don't say such things. Nothing will happen to you. All of us do what we can to protect our own—" 

"Megumi-san. You're a part of our odd family, whether you like it or not. They all love you in their own ways. Sanosuke, Kenshin, Yahiko," Kaoru paused, and placed a hand gently on Megumi's cheek. Megumi almost pulled away in her surprise. 

"And so do I." 

Megumi's eyes were wide with shock, her thoughts too jumbled to form a reply. Kaoru lowered her hand slowly, and it fell back to her side. 

"Tired. I want to see Kenshin now, before I go to sleep again." Megumi forced her limbs to move, leaving the room to find Kenshin talking quietly with Genzai. 

"Ken-san. Kaoru-san is awake now." Kenshin jumped up and rushed to the room, sliding the shoji shut behind him. 

Only ten minutes had passed when he left the room. He smiled wearily at Megumi and Genzai. 

"She's sleeping again." 

"Good. We should all get some rest ourselves," Genzai said cheerfully. Megumi nodded. Genzai quietly left the clinic, leaving the raven-haired doctor and the small rurouni alone. They stood in silence for a moment until Kenshin broke it. 

"Megumi-dono, please be honest with me. Is Kaoru-dono okay?" 

"Hai, Ken-san. Her only serious injury was that deep cut, and the blow to her head. We must watch for an infection. I don't think her head is seriously injured." Kenshin looked at her, then looked away. 

"I don't know, Megumi-dono. Kaoru-dono was saying strange things. About you taking care of the dojo." 

Megumi looked down at her hands, unable to meet his eyes and tell him that she had said much more than that. Unable to let him see the hope that might be reflected in her eyes. 

"Kaoru-san is just confused right now. She'll get over it. Ken-san, please get some rest." 

"Aa, rest." Kenshin agreed, and left Megumi standing alone in the main room of the clinic. 

Kaoru-san. You didn't mean it. You could never mean it. 

_ 

Yeah, Kaoru is very out of character. But she's sort of having an epiphany, y'know? 

This is also my first fanfiction, so if you think it's awful, cut me some slack. No one does it right the first time, eh? ~wink 

By the way, do Ayame and Suzume even have living parents? I've never seen them. 

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